a torch , as in oxy-acetylene, is really good at heating the nuts to red hot
..
they'll usually come right off with that process. ( nuts on studs are better
than bolts screwed into the head for getting rusted things apart of course ,
not to disavow people's success with stainless bolts )

also ...start putting a good penetrating oil on them immediately ..
and frequently.  That can't hurt.

short of oxy-acetylene there's  Mapp gas ..
it's an improved gas mixture that's hotter than propane ..might ..'might' be
useful. It's the kind of thing you buy at a hardware store.

yeah man, hate that when there're biohazards at the junk yard. One I know is
so bad you have to bring your own hedge trimming  sheers just to hack back
the blackberries growing through the vehicles...
but I  don't go to places like that usually anyway.

when studs bust off ...
sometimes it gets down to drilling and taping ..
which is much easier done with engine out of van of course, usually.

congrats on that great score on the exhaust !
you made 500 bucks right there.
$ 4K for an entire new exhaust system ..?
'sure' at the most expensive VW dealer and on a Syncro, and using a new
german 1,000 dollar OE cat ...
even then it would be hard to  get up to 4 grand.

Scott

----- Original Message -----
From: "J Stewart" <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, July 02, 2010 5:29 AM
Subject: Removing Rusty Exhaust System

> OK, if you read my last post you saw I found an exhaust system. My current
> one is in really bad shape, the rear pipe was cracked, welded, then
> cracked again at the weld and has cracked completely in two in another
> spot. Now, looking at the exhaust port at #3, the nuts are so badly rusted
> that I know they are going to snap off when I try to remove them, leaving
> whats left of the stud in the head. Any suggestions? Thanks, Jeff
>
>
>
> Jeff Stewart